corwin



Feb. 14. 1956 M. D. coRwlN CONSTRUCTION 0F PHOTOELECTRIC oRGANs 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 2e, 195C :inventan Lttorncjs.

Feb. 14, 1956 M. D. coRwlN CONSTRUCTION OF PHOTOELECTRIC ORGANS @NNN Filed Aug. 26,

Feb. 14, 1956 M. D. coRwlN CONSTRUCTION 0F PHOTOELECTRIC oRGANs 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 26, 1950 QNGN NN u@ s,

Imventor S. m w .v M m@ E M Feb. 14, 1956 M. D. CORWIN 2,734,416

CONSTRUCTION @F PHOTOELECTRIC oRGANs Filed Aug. 26, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 6 E .za "l nventor 147:9? TON EFW/N,

attorneys,

United States Patent O CONSTRUCTION F PHOTOELECTRIC ORGANS Merton D. Corwin, Cincinnati, Ohio, assigner to The Baldwin Piano Company, a corporation of Gmo Application August 26, 1950, Serial No. 131,63@

Claims. (Cl. 841.17)

My invention relates to electric musical instruments and in particular those of the photoelectric type. In a copending application of Edward M. l ones, entitled Generator for Electric Pulsations of Audio Frequency, iiled August 6, 1949, Serial No. 108,946, Patent No. 2,558,653, granted lune 26, 1951, there is described and claimed a particular self-contained generator device for photoelectric organs. In this device the shutters for the individual notes are in the form of wires or strand-like elements moving in grooves in a shutter plate; and wires which are attached to the tirst mentioned strand-like elements form operating means for the note shutters. As the last mentioned wires leave the generator, they are encased in sheaths forming so-called Bowden transmissions. Similarly in the .Tones generator there are various voicing shutters also having operating means in the form of Bowden transmissions.

ln another copending application in the name of Edward M. iones, Serial No. 117,239, led September 22, 1949, Patent No. 2,576,759 and entitled Method and Means for Producing Tones and Voices Photoelectrically, there is described a general arrangement of the generator including the shutter plate, pitch disc, voice disc, and the like, the arrangement being such that a single generator will provide all of the notes of the equi-tempered scale throughout a full range desired for a keyboard instrument, and in a wide variety of voices, plus a plurality of additional notes and appropriate voices which may either be employed for additional eliects in the lbase section of a single manual instrument having a divided keyboard, or may be employed in connection with the provision of some of the pedal notes and voices of an instrument having a plurality of manuals and a pedal clavier. As a consequence, and using substantially standard parts, generators may be manufactured which either may be employed single, say, in an instrument having a single divided manual and no pedal clavier, or in multiples in more elaborate instruments. Thus in an instrument having two manuals and a pedal clavier, .two of the Jones generators are employed, one being primarily connected to the great manual, while the other is primarily connected to the swell manual, the extra notes and voices of the two generators being, however, combined to furnish the necessary range for the pedal clavier.

While `my invention is not so limited as will be evident hereinafter, I shall describe it in an exemplary embodiment employing the Jones generators, and providing means for the coupling which will hereinafter be understood as necessary in the arrangement hereinabove set forth.

it is an object of my invention to provide mechanical means for connecting photoelectric generators to the keys of one or more manuals, and where desired to the pedals of a pedal clavier.

lt is an object of my invention to provide means for connecting generators to the stop tabs or voice selectors of instruments of this class, as well as to selecting and control means for a vibrato.

It is an object of my invention to provide a mode of mounting generators in an electrical musical instrument such that they may easily be removed for repair or replacement.

Itis an object of my invention to provide a mechanical arrangement wherein a set of manual keys, connected to the operating elements of the shutters of a generator, is mounted on a common support therewith, the whole being removable as such from an electric musical instrument.

It is an object of my invention to provide a self-contained assembly of one or more generators and one or more keyboards. The provision of such an assembly enables me to construct, combine, and adjust all of the primary operating elements of a keyboard instrument on a bench or worktable, and afterward merely to insert the assembly into a console prepared to receive it.

It is an object of my invention to provide a self-contained unit of the type hereinabove referred to, of which tone color selecting means and vibrato selecting and control means form an integral part, installed and removed from the console with the assembly as such.

lt is an object of my invention to provide a console having a pedal clavier and operative connections from the keys thereof to certain positions at which automatic connection may be made to self-contained assemblies as above characterized.

lt is an object of my invention to provide in a keyboard musical instrument having a console with a generator therein of the type employing note-selectors respectively operable by linear forces, a pedal clavier which can be tilted upwardly against the console without disengagement of the clavier therefrom.

lt is an object of my invention to provide novel connections between Bowden transmission elements and operating and operated means to be used therewith.

These and other objects of my invention, which will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which I shall now describe the aforesaid exemplary embodiments.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view with parts in section of a console arrangement embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation with parts in section of the same assembly.

Figure 3 is a partial vertical section of the lower front part of a console and pedal clavier, the section being taken along the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a partial sectional view of Bowden transmissions connected to the keys of a pedal clavier, the section being taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a partial elevational view with parts in section of apparatus by means of which the keys of a pedal clavier can automatically be connected with Bowden transmissions from a generator, the section being taken along the line S-S of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a mode of connecting a Bowden wire to a pedal.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a sheath holding device.

Figure 8 is a partial perspective view showing a mode of attachment of a Bowden element to a spring element.

Figure 9 is a partial elevational view showing a mode of connection of a Bowden wire to a lever-like operating means.

Figure l0 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 11 is a partial perspective view showing a mode of connecting Bowden transmissions to stop tabs.

Figure l2 is a diagrammatic view showing modes of connection of a pair of generators to operating means used ywith the tone selectors or stop tabs.

Figure 13 is a partial plan view with parts in section of operating means used in connection with the tone color selectors.

Figure 14 is a sectional view taken along the line 14-14 of Figure 13.

Figure 15 is a perspective view of a stop tab slide element.

Figure 16 is a partial vertical section taken through the console, and is related to the section line 16-16 of Figure 2.

Figure 17 is an enlarged perspective showing apparatus for controlling the rise of the keys of a keyboard.

Figure 18 is a partial perspective View showing a front end of a plate to which the sheaths of Bowden transmissions may be anchored.

Figure 19 shows in perspective a Bowden sheath anchor.

Figure 20 is a partial elevational view of a key pivot post.

Figure 21 is a perspective view of a pivot post keeper member.

Figure 22 is a partial plan view of a shutter plate show ing a mode of connection of Bowden transmissions to shutter elements.

Figure 23 is a partial sectional view taken along the section line 23-23 of Figure 22.

Figure 24 is a partial vertical section transverse the organ console showing the upper manual and associated generator assembly in upraised position and the pedal clavier in upraised position.

Figure 25 is a partial plan view of a shutter plate showing a form of vibrato shutter which I may use.

Referring rst to Figures 1 and 2, I have therein shown an organ console having side frame members 1 and 2 and a top element 7. The console, if desired, may be provided with a removable back closure, indicated generally at 8 in Figure 1.

Within the console, and on either side, there are rails fastened to the side frame elements 1 and 2 for supporting the structures hereinafter described. These rails are shown in Figure 2 at 9 and 9a. The organ also has a lower front board indicated at 10, which will usually be perforated as at 12 to provide a space for a volume control pedal 15. This pedal operates an electrical volume control which may be connected to the main amplifier of the instrument (not shown) by a plug-in connection. In instances where it is desired that the main amplifier and the loud speaker or speakers be encased in the organ console, it will be usual to mount the speakers behind the lower front board 10 of the organ and the amplifier upon a platform (6 in Figure 3) and to provide a suitable grille or grilles in the lower front board for the emission of the sound.

In the preferred form of my instrument, the side frame members 1 and 2 of the console have appropriately shaped extensions 1a and 2a reaching forwardly to accommodate the keyboards. Where the keyboards are of lesser length than the distance between the side frame members 1 and 2 of the console, filler blocks 17 and 18, joined by a member 17a, will be employed to ill out the space. The extensions 1a and 2a of the side frame members are also inter-connected by a key strip 22 at the front of the keys in the lower keyboard while a key strip 20 at the front of the keys in the upper keyboard extends between the filler block assemblies.

In the particular embodiment, the console is shown as having a lower or great manual having a keyboard 24 and an upper or swell manual having a keyboard 25. There is a top front board 26 for the organ, which is perforated at intervals for the acceptance of a plurality of stop tabs 27. The stop tabs are ordinarily arranged in groups, such as a group for the pedal clavier, a group for the swell manual and a group for the great manual. The keyboards 24 and 25, the front board 26, and the stop tab elements 27 (together with a vibrato control element hereinafter described, and such electrical switch elements as may be desired on the upper front board of the organ for starting and stopping the generators), are all removable with the unitary construction hereinafter described, and hence do not form permanent or non-detachable parts of the console in this sense.

The instrument of the specific embodiment also has a pedal clavier, comprising a series of frame elements indicated generally in Figures 3 and 24 at 28, and a series of pedal keys, 29. Since the pedal keys are to be connected to operated means through iiexible Bowden transmissions, an advantage of my construction is that the pedal clavier as a unit may be hinged, and hence may be swung upwardly to a position underneath the manuals of the instrument when desired, as for cleaning and adjustment and for making the transportation of the console easier. Accordingly, in Figure 24 I have shown the pedal clavier frame 28 connected with the front board element 10 of console by means of a hinge 30. This may be a continuous hinge of the so-called piano hinge type, or a plurality of separate hinges or end pivots may be employed. To hold the pedal clavier in upraised position, I provide a suitable latch or lock. This may be a sliding rod an end of which may enter a socket member 101 on a rail 23 behind the key strip 22. The other end of the rod may be bent as shown to form an operating handle, while resilient engagement devices 102 and 103 may be provided to retain the rod in two positions. In the embodiment shown, the handle of the rod is turned to cause it to enter either of the engagement devices.

As shown in Figure 2, each of the generators comprises a base in the form of a shutter plate 31 or 41. The other mechanisms associated with the generator are either mounted to this plate or to upper and lower housing members shown generally at 32 and 33 or 45 and 46 respectively. The interior structure of the generators need not be particularly described in view of the reference above to the copending applications Serial Nos. 108,946 and 117,239.

For mounting a generator I provide a frame element such as 41. This is preferably made of lightweight metal tubing welded into a closed rectangular frame with rounded corners, although the frame may otherwise be made. Across the narrower dimension of the frame, I provide struts or supporting rails 42 and 43 preferably in the form of metal angle bars welded at their ends to the frame 41. The generator is mounted by means of its plate 44 on bracket elements 37a, 38a and 39a Welded or otherwise fastened respectively to the rails 42 and 43 and to the rear element of the frame. At the two ends of the frame, I atiix to it channel-shaped metal members, one of which is indicated at 47 in Figure 2. These metal members rest directly or indirectly, as will be described hereinafter, upon the wooden rails 9 and 9a affixed to the side frame elements 1 and 2 of the console. The members 9 are preferably rabbeted so that the frame supporting the generator and the associated parts hereinafter described can be slid outwardly through the rear of the console when the rear element 8 thereof is removed. The channelshaped elements such as 47 may be fastened to other channels such as 40, as will be described, or to the supporting rails 9 in any way desired, as by screws at the rear, and screws in front accessible when the key filler blocks 17 or 18 of the console are removed.

As hereinabove indicated in a single manual organ a single generator will normally be employed. In this event there will be but one frame 41 with its generator 44, 45, 46 supported thereon in an off center position, and with an associated keyboard, top front board, stop tabs and the like, as hereinafter described. In the event the organ has a pair of manuals and a pedal keyboard, I provide a second frame 34 of the same length but of somewhat greater width than the frame 41. This is provided with cross rails 35 and 36 for supporting a second generator comprising a base plate 31 and upper and lower housings 32 and 33, the ot center positions of the two generators permitting them to be supported substantially side by side with one somewhat higher than the other. Channel members 40 are also aflixed to the ends of the frame 34 as will be evident from Figure 2, and these channel members under the channel members 47, providing a unit comprising the two generators, their frames and associated parts which may be installed in and removed from the co-nsole as a unit and afterward disassembled. With the understanding, in the light of this explanation, that the organ, depending on its design, may have one or two or more generators depending upon its manual arrangement and the presence or absence of a pedal clavier, I shall proceed hereinafter to describe a two-manual, pedal clavier instrument in detail. The single manual instrument will differ from it essentially only in the omission of certain parts such for example as the frame 34, the second generator, the second keyboard, the pedal clavier (unless one is desired), certain of the voice selectors and the like. There will be some changes in the specific connections between the operating elements of the generator and the key elements, for example, but these will be clear to the skilled worker in the art in the light of the requirement of the two instruments, and in the light of the diiierences in the arrangement of the generators as outlined in the second of the copending applications mentioned above.

rl`he generator assemblies are inclusive of the manuals as will later be described. In a two manual instrument, as shown in Figure 24, I prefer to pivot the channels 47 of the upper generator assembly to the channels 40 of the lower generator assembly at the rear, one such pivot being marked 164. The forward ends of the channels 47 are connected to the channels 40 through lever linkages comprising a link element 105 and a lever 196. The lever is pivoted to the lower channel and is provided with an operating handle 107. A stop 10S on the lower channel, or on the side frame member 2 enables the lever linkage to act as a dead center device to retain the upper generator assembly in the upraised position of Figure 24, whereby access is given to the lower assembly as well as to permit adiustnient of the upper assembly. Moving the operating handle I? in the counterclockwise direction will permit the upper channel 47 to oe brought to rest upon the top ot' the lower channel as in Figures l and 2.

In mounting the two generators on their respective frames, their orientation may be slightly varied as is shown in Figure l, for the purpose of giving a straighter path to the various Bowden transmissions. However, these transmissions are ilexible, and their directions may be substantially varied.

Turning to Figures 22 and 23, i have there shown a fragment of a shutter plate 31 which is grooved and provided with certain light openings 48. Strand-like shutter elements 49 lie in the grooves of this plate and are moved longitudinally to cover and uncover the light openings 48. Operating elements in the form of wires 5d are connected with the several strand-like elements 49. rthis may conveniently be done by forming an eye Sila on the end of each operating element 50 and by turning down the end of the strand-like shutter element 49 as at 49a. and engaging the turned down end in the eye. Surrounding each of the operating elements 50 there is a sheath 51 completing the Bowden transmissions. A plurality of such sheaths will be anchored to the plate 31 by a cast block or other suitable anchor means 52. Further details of thc generator assembly need not be given here; but it will be realized that a large number of the Bowden transmissions S, Si will leave the generator substantially at the level of the plate 31. The greater number of these require connection with playing keys either of a manual or of a pedal clavier or both. Certain of them, operating voice shutters such as those described in the second copending application referred to above, and usually leaving the plate on the under side, will require connection with voice selecting means such as stop`tabs hereinafter described. One Bowden transmission from each generator assembly will require connection to a knob which controls vibrato.

Referring now to Figure 16, I have again shown the upper frame 41 with the plate 44 of its generator mounted therein by brackets in the way described, one of these brackets being indicated at 39a (Figure l). The generator has an upper housing 45, 45a, and a lower housing 46. The end channel element on the frame is shown at 47. On bracket elements, one of which is shown at 53, attached to the end channel elements 47, I mount the top front board 26 of the organ. At its lower edge there may be provided a toe strip 54 to overlie the rear ends of the keys in the manual 25. Also between the opposed channel elements 47 I mount certain rails indicated at 55, 56 and 57. The key strip 20 may be mounted to the rail 57 by means of brackets 20a.

The white and black keys 25a and 25b are mounted on the key rail 56 by means of individual pivot elements 58 in the form of pins. These pins lie in part in enlarged openings adjacent the key ends; but these openings terminate below the tops of the key bodies, as shown, so that the ends of the pins lie in smaller, locating holes. Annular grooves 58a (Figure 20) are formed in the pins, and resilient keepers Stib (Figure 2l) are engaged in the grooves as will be clear from Figure 16. The keepers are wider than the enlarged openings mentioned above, so that their engagement portions lie in transverse slots or san/cuts in the key ends. Thus the keys are pivoted to the pins 5S and cannot be disengaged therefrom so long as the keepers are in place.

The keys 25a and 25h are guided on conventional key pins 59 and 60 in the rail element 57, as will be clear. In order to provide stops for the white keys 25a in their uppermost positions, I provide downwardly extending screw pins 61 at their outer ends. These pins, as shown in Figure l7 are preferably in the form of washer-headed screws. The heads engage beneath slotted abutment plates 62, preferably of length corresponding to an octave, affixed to and extending along the guide rail 57. A felt washer 61a effectively deadens sound in this construction. A slotted back edge is provided on the plates 62 for the black keys, which have depending screw pins 63 at their forward ends, the heads of these pins engaging the back slots 62a.

Where I have spoken of rails, such as the rails 55, 56 and 57, it will be understood that these may v'be unitary or made up of a plurality of parts. The rails will be fastened in any suitable way between the channels 47.

The keys 25a and 25h are provided with capstan screws 64 on their under sides, and these capstan screws bear against felt pads 65a on leaf spring members 65 afiixed at their ends by screws to the key rail 55. The construction and mounting of the keys and associated parts is similar for both keyboards, as will be evident from Figure 16. The kep strip 22 and rail 23 of the lower keyboard may, however, be mounted directly to the side frame elements In and 2a of the organ, instead of to the channels 40.

For connecting the wires 50 of the several Bowden transmissions with the keys, I make use of a construction shown in Figures 8 and 16. Beneath the leaf springs 65, I aix to the rail other elements comprising a leaf spring body 66. The free ends of these bodies may be reinforced as at 67 (Figure 8). A shorter leaf 68 is aixed to the upper side of the body 66 as by a rivet 69. The forward end of the leaf 68 is turned downwardly as at 70; the leaf is perforated as at 71 to accept the Bowden wire 50; and a screw 72 passes through the members 68 and 66 and is threaded into member 67. With the Bowden wire threaded as shown, it may be clamped in any adjusted position by tightening the screw 72. It will be seen from Figure 16 that the device of Figure 8 underlies the leaf spring 65. A sponge rubber or other resilient body 73 may be interposed between the two, so that as a playing key is depressed, the motion will be imparted to the device of Figure 8 and thereby to the Bowden wire 50.

Extending downwardly from the guide rail 57, I provide a metallic plate 74. This can be supported at its front edge from the rail by means of screws as shown. The plate on its inside or upper surface may be covered with felt or some other sound deadener. The Bowden transmissions including their sheaths 51 lie above this plate and a substantially horizontal prolongation 74a thereof, and traverse them in various directions. The forward edge of the plate 74, as most clearly shown in Figure 18 is slotted at intervals, there being a slot 75 substantially beneath each of the playing keys a and 25h of the manual. For fastening the outer ends of the Bowden transmission to the plate I provide suitable anchors. These may take various forms; but I prefer to provide the soft metal anchor blocks 76 shown in Figure 19. A threaded screw 77 will have its head end engaged in each of the blocks, and the blocks will further have a locating tongue or stud 78 formed of the soft metal of the body of the anchors. To the rear, the anchor blocks are formed with spaced bifurcations 79 and 80.

Bowden sheaths are ordinarily of wire formed into contiguous helical turns, and it will be understood that when the ends of such sheaths are placed between the bifurcations 79 and 80 of the anchoring blocks 76, and these bifurcations pinched together, the sheaths will be rrnly fixed therein. As will be evident from a consideration of Figures 16, 18 and 19, the anchors 76 may be aixed to the plate 74 by passing both the screw 77 and the locating stud 78 through one of the slots 757 and then threading a nut 81 onto the protruding end of the screw. The slot further provides for substantial adjustment of the position of the anchors on the plate 74.

In the event the range of movement of the key actuated member to which the Bowden wire is attached is greater than the permissible linear movement of the Bowden wire in actuating a shutter or the like, various expedients may be adopted. For example, it is within the scope of my invention to relieve the tension in an adjacent end portion of the Bowden sheath by slightly stretching it, The tension referred to tends to hold the wire convolutions of the sheath tightly together. When this tension is appropriately relieved, the Bowden wire will be actuated as before by the key mechanism, but at the point where resistance is encountered at the end of a linear movement of the wire in opening a shutter, further movement of the key mechanism will be taken up in longitudinal expansion of the said adjacent end portion of the Bowden sheath, without producing relative movement of the wire and sheath at the non-adjacent end.

A similar arrangement is made for the lower keyboard, using a similar plate 82, the extension 83 of which is wider, due to the oflset positions of the keyboards. The same type of connecting means for the Bowden wires is used, and the same type of anchors for the Bowden sheaths, all as will be evident from Figure 16.

In the double manual instrument, as has already been described in part, certain of the Bowden transmissions connected with strand-like operating elements for note selection in the shutter plates will be connected to the keys of the pedal clavier instead of to various parts of a divided single keyboard. Reference may now be made to Figures 2 to 5 inclusive for details of a inode of accomplishing this. First of all, it will be noted in Figure 2 that transmission elements indicated by a series of dotted lines 84 from the left half of the pedal keyboard 29 are brought upwardly behind the lower front board 10 of the organ to a unit indicated generally at 85, while other transmission elements indicated at 36 are brought upwardly from the right half of the pedal keyboard to a unit behind the lower front board 10 and indicated at 87. Inasrnuch as other elements such as loud speakers by way of example may be desired behind the lower front board 10, advantage may be taken of the eXible characteristics of Bowden transmissions to carry them laterally and then upwardly as indicated at the right hand of Figure 2. A plurality of transmissions may be bound together in a single cable-like construction 88 if desired.

In Figure 3, I have shown a Bowden sheath 51h having its lower end anchored by a screw and washer or other suitable means to a rail 28a which is part of the pedal clavier' frame, and its upper end anchored to a rail 89 mounted in an elevated position behind the lower front board 10 of the console as by means of brackets 89a. The wire of the Bowden transmission is aixed at one end to a pedal key 29 in a way hereinafter described and at its other end it is fastened to a lever-like operating means 9i). This means may be a wooden element with an enlarged forward end 90a covered with felt or leather. lt may be pivotally mounted to a mem ber 9i on the rail 89. These pivotal mounting members may conveniently be the so-called flanges of conventional piano actions, although other pivotal mountings may be adopted if desired.

At any rate it will be noted that as the pedal key 29 is depressed, its motion will be transmitted by the Bowden transmission 51h to the operating lever 90, and will result in a raising of its enlarged forward end. The elements 90, 91, 92 are a permanent part of the organ console, and the action of the structure just described is to provide a separable connection at a very much higher level than the level of the pedal clavier by means of which the pedal clavier may operate Bowden transmissions from the generators. Elements such as those described constitute in part the units and 87 diagrammatically indicated in Figure 2.

Clamps which may be used to attach the Bowden transmission sheaths to the rails 28a and 89 are illustrated in Figure 7 and comprise a piece of metal 92, perforated as at 93 for the acceptance of screws, and having ends bent over as at 94. While I have illustrated a double clamp, single clamps may be made by simply transversely dividing the structure of Figure 7 into two similar parts. An advantage of single clamping elements is that they may be swung about the attaching screw as a pivot so that the Bowden transmission sheaths can be anchored to the rail aslant as well as Straight away. A convenient mode of attachment of the Bowden wire to the ends of the pedals is illustrated in Figures 3 and 6. Here the end of the wire 50a is bent over as at 501; and is inserted in a longitudinal perforation in the end of the pedal. A bracket element 95 having an angularly related part 96 is provided with a perforation 98 whereby it may be attached to the under side of the pedal. The upwardly extending angular portion 96 is of such length that it will engage the straight part of the Bowden wire 50a and therefore hold the bent part 501; in the perforation in the end of the pedal. A piece of felt or other frictional substance 97 may be attached against the angular portion 97 so as to engage the straight away portion of the Bowden wire.

A convenient mode of. attachment of the Bowden wire 59u to the lever operating element 90 is illustrated in Figures 9 and l0. A longitudinal bore is formed inwardly of the end of the lever element aud a bent-over end of the Bowden wire 50a is inserted in the bore as shown at 58C. A transverse bore is formed in the lever element as shown, and a substantially U-shaped clip of spring wire 164 has its longer leg inserted in this transverse bore. The shorter leg is bent to form a locking notch as shown at 10S. This engages over the straight away portion of the Bowden wire 50a, and not only maintains the engagement of that wire with the lever element 9%, but serves to lock the clip in place. Yet the structure is readily disassembled when desired. A loop formed in the Bowden wire as shown is advantageous for preventing undue stress on the ends of the wire.

In order to effect an automatic connection between the Bowden wires from the generator or generators and the operating elements connected with the pedals, I make a construction which will be appreciated from Figures 3 and 5. Bracket 106 (see also Figure 1) is axed to the framework supporting a generator unit, and a metallic rail or plate 107 is mounted thereon. The Bowden transmission sheaths 51 are anchored to an upwardly bent portion of the rail 107 by clips similar to 92 illustrated in Figure 7, in the manner shown in Figure 5. To a wooden rail 108 mounted on the member 107, l attach leaf spring members 109 similar to the devices of Figure 8, one for each Bowden transmission of the particular group. The Bowden wires 50 are attached to the members 109 in the way already described.

The arrangement is such that when the generator or generators, including their frame elements and keyboards, are inserted in the console, the individual memb'ers 108 will lie respectively above the individual lever operating elements 90, as will be readily understood from Figures 3 and 5. As a pedal 29 is depressed, its lever 90 will be rocked as previously described, and the enlarged end 90a of the lever will move the member 109 upwardly, thus pushing on the Bowden wire. Yet the arrangement, including the members 109, is a part of the removable generator units; and thus, so far as the pedal keys are concerned, the generator unit may be removed without disconnection.

The top front board 26 of the console is perforated as at 26a (see Figure 16), to accept the operating ends of stop tab elements or voice selectors 27. These have a substantially standard construction which need not be described in detail. They are pivoted respectively on a rail 81 or on individual supports, and are spring actuated in such a manner as to be capable of passing in either the upraised or depressed positions beyond a dead center. A mode of connecting these to the transmission elements of voice shutters will hereinafter be outlined in detail. lt may be pointed out that in a single manual instrument the two types of connections, i. e. certain Bowden transmissions to the playing keys and certain other ones to the stop tabs, are the only transmission connections required. However, in this instance more than one Bowden transmission may be required to be connected to a single stop tab.

lf the reference is now made to the diagrammatic Figure 12, it will be seen that there are sets of stop tabs or voice selectors in my two manual instrument respectively for the pedal clavier, the swell manual and the great manual. These sets are diagrammatically indicated, and are so marked. The generator for the great manual tones is indicated at A, while the generator for the swell manual tones is indicated at B. But as stated above, in the particular embodiment, while each of these generators takes care 'of all of the tones and voices for its particular manual, each has certain extra tones and voices which are utilized for the pedal clavier. Thus from the great manual generator A, I have indicated by dotted lines a series of Bowden transmissions 110 going directly to the stop tab mechanism for the great organ voices. There is, however, another set conveniently divided into two groups, 111 and 112, of voicing transmissions appropriate to the pedal clavier and shown passing to the voice selector mechanism for that clavier. Similarly for the swell manual generator B there is a group 113 of voicing transmissions going directly to the voicing mechanism for the swell manual and another group, again with two parts 114 and 115 going to various ones of the pedal clavier voice selecting devices. It will be noted that Bowden transmissions from both generators A and B pass to the same individual voice selecting mechanisms in the pedal clavier. This is because for the range or gamut of the pedal clavier, some of the notes are to be found on the pitch disc of generator A and some on the pitch disc of generator B; and since these notes must 10 sound in the same voices, voice shutters in both generators must simultaneously be actuated by the same stop tabs.

There is also a transmission indicated at 116 from the swell manual generator B to a vibrato selecting and controlling means, so marked, and another transmission 117 from the great manual generator to the same device. Yet again, as more fully explained in the second of the copending applications referred to above, the several generators are so arranged as to have 16 ft., 8 ft., 4 ft. and 2 ft. voices. On occasion, a 2 ft. voice is employed in such generators to supplement the range of a 4 ft. voice etc., there being similar voicing tracks for these voices. This again entails a coupling problem, since a single voice selecting mechanism will in this instance also have to operate a plurality of voicing shutters in one of the generators. For all of these reasons, coupling must be provided at the voice selectors.

The stop tab elements 27 may be caused in various ways to actuate Bowden transmissions connected to the voicing shutters of the generators. I have devised and have illustrated in Figures l1 and l3-15 a simple and elective way of accomplishing not only the actuation of the voice shutter Bowden transmissions, but also the tandem operation thereof. Behind the front board 26 of the organ and by means of suitable brackets 118, I mount panels for slides to which the Bowden transmissions may be connected. The panels as shown most clearly in Figure 11 are preferably made in two spaced portions 119 and 120. The space between these elements is spanned by members 121, laterally grooved to provide ways for the slides, the members being spaced one from the next a proper distance to cause side edge portions of the slides to engage in the grooves. A slide element is shown at 122 in Figure 11 as comprising a sheet metal body with its ends angularly bent. The bent ends provide stiifening and also prevent removal of the slides longitudinally from engagement with the members 121. The slides 122 are perforated, as at 123 and 124, and the stop tab elements 27 are provided with rearwardly extending rod-like actuating elements 125, the outer ends of which engage in one of the perforations of the slides. It will be evident that as the stop tabs are rocked upon their pivots, the slide element in connection with each will be moved up or down by the actuating element 125. Bowden transmissions. such as 51d may be fastened to the panel element as by means of clamp devices 92 previously described and the Bowden wires may be connected with the slides in any suitable fashion so as to be driven thereby. A convenient way of accomplishing the connection is illustrated in Figures 11 and 14 and comprises mercly bending over the ends of the Bowden wires 50d and passing the bent ends through small perforations 126 in the slides. Since more than one Bowden wire may be connected to an individual slide, this arrangement offers a mode of Coupling. Such coupling is particularly useful where two or more Bowden wires from the same generator are to be simultaneously actuated by a single stop tab. But for disassembly and repair of the organ, I find it preferable so to arrange the coupling means that the generator assemblies in the organ may be separated from cach other with a minimum of disconnecting operations. For this reason, where a single stop tab is to actuate simultaneously a plurality of Bowden wires from different generators, as occurs particularly in connection with the stop tabs for the pedal voices, I prefer to adopt a construction shown at the left-hand end of Figure 13. Here a panel assembly, such as has been described in connection with Figure 11 and indicated generally at 127, is mounted directly upon the brackets 118. Instead of using bolts for mounting purposes, I use spacing posts 128, and on these posts spaced from the panel assembly 127, I mount another similar panel assembly designated generally by the numeral 129. The slides of assembly are elements 122:1, similar to slides 122. However, the slides 130 in assembly 127 are also similar to 122, but

modified by the insertion of a rod-like post 131 in perforation 124, which engages perforation 123 of assembly 129.

The slides 130 of the first panel assembly will be actuated by the operating rods 125 of the stop tabs; but the slides 122er of the second panel assembly will be driven similarly from the rst slides by the means described above. The Bowlen wires of transmissions from a different generator may be connected to the slides 122g.

In this arrangement when it is desired to separate the generators, the panel assemblies 127 and 129 are separated by disengagement from the separating posts 128 and brackets 118, and each panel assembly with its attached Bowden transmissions may be laid over onto its appropriate generator. It has already been pointed out that the connections from the individual generators to the pedal clavier, including the assemblies 85a and 87a (Figure 2), are separate so that they do not interfere with the separation of the generators.

The specific nature of the generators is not a limitation upon this invention. For suitable generators reference is made to the copending applications set forth above. In Figure 16 a voice disc 132 overlies the grooves of the shutter plate 44 and serves to keep the shutter wires in the grooves. The voice disc bears suitable wave form patterns in the appropriate places for imparting tone color to light passing through the perforations 43 of the shutter disc. The stutter wires control the playing of the individual notes and are individually connected to Bowden transmissions as set forth. The tone colors are controlled by door-like voicing shutters coupled to those Bowden transmissions which go to the stop tabs. A pitch disc 133 is shown in Figure 16 as pivoted for rotation on the shutter plate at 134. lt, of course, bears appropriate pitch tracks. Peripherally it carries an armature element 135 acted upon by the windings of an eddy current motor (not shown) mounted upon the shutter plate 44. A source of illumination and a focusing mirror are mounted in one of the housing elements 44 or 46 and the other contains a photo-electric cell and a focusing mirror. The generators preferably have the speed control means described in the copending application of Edward M. Jones and George F. Williamson, Serial No. 117,240, filed September 22, 1949, and entitled Systems for the Production and Use of Electric Oscillations for Control Purposes; and vibrato is obtained by producing variations in the otherwise uniform and constant speed rotation of the pitch disc. A vibrato pitch track (not shown) is incorporated in the pitch disc 133 and is provided with a shutter. A sepa* rate photoelectric cell picks up the pulsations produced by the vibrato track and causes them to act upon the speed control means so as to produce a pitch vibrato as aforesaid. The vibrato shutter may take various forms, but in Figure I have shown the shutter disc 44 as having a light opening 136 closed and opened by an arcuate shutter element 137 pivoted to the shutter plate as at 138. A Bowden transmission Sie is connected to the shutter element and suitably anchored as at 139. Since, especially as to the pedal clavier, vibrato will simultaneously be desired as to all of the notes of the pedal clavier, it will be clear that the Bowden transmissions 51e from each generator A or E must be simultaneously actuated. An arrangement for doing this is shown in Figures 12 and 13. Slide elements 130a and 122b are respectively mounted on the panel assemblies 12'7 and 129 and coupled as previously described. These sli-des will be connected with the Bowden transmissions 51e (diagrammatically indicated at 11e' and M7 in Figure l2). With the type of shutter shown in Figure 25, the degree or intensity of the vibrato may be varied by the extent to which the shutter 137 is opened. Instead, therefore, of coupling the slides 130@ and 12211 to a stop tab, I prefer to journal a shaft 1.4i) as shown. An operating knob 141 is mounted on the end of this shaft which passes through the organ front board 26. I mount a post 142 on the inner slide 130a and actuate the slides through the engagement with this 12 post of a bifurcated driving element 143 non-rotatively affixed to the shaft 140. Alternately, for providing vibrato, l may employ the knob 141 to vary an electrical resistance connected in an appropriate circuit, such as that disclosed in the above mentioned Jones and Williamson application.

Modifications may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit of it. Having thus described my invention in certain exemplary embodiments, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. in a keyboard instrument having a console, a substantially horizontal frame removably mounted in the console; a keyboard mounted to said frame; a generator mounted on said frame; connections between said generator and the keys of said keyboard; said frame, keyboard, generator and connections being removable as a unit from said console; a guide rail and key rail supported on brackets on said frame; the keys of said key board being pivoted on said key rail and guided by pins on said guide rail; rst leaf springs attached to said key rail, underlying said keys and bearing against adjusting means on the under sides of said keys to urge said keys upwardly; second leaf springs associated with said first leaf springs so as to be actuated thereby; and the said connections between said generator and said keys comprising Bowden transmissions each having a wire and a sheath, the wires of said transmission being connected respectively to free ends of said second leaf springs.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said keys have downwardly depending stop elements engaging slotted abutments on said guide rail to tix the upper position of said keys.

3. The structure of claim 1 including a plate mounted on said guide rail, the ends of said sheaths being adjustably anchored to said plate.

4. The structure of claim l including a second frame removably mounted in the console; said second frame having a key board, generator, guide rail, guide pins, key rail, rst leaf springs, second leaf springs and Bowden transmissions all arranged like the corresponding elements recited in connection with said first mentioned frame; and means interconnecting the said frames whereby the named elements may be removed from said console as a unit.

5. The structure of claim 4 including a downwardly extending plate mounted on each guide rail, the ends of said sheaths being adjustably anchored to the respective plates.

6. The structure of claim 1 including a pedal clavier hinged to a lower portion of said console and swingable from a position substantially parallel to a surface upon which said console rests to an upper position in which the outer end of said pedal clavier lies substantially beneath the said forward extension of the console, means for holding the pedal clavier in the second mentioned position, and means for operably connecting saidpedal clavier with said generator effective at least in the first mentioned position of said pedal clavier, said last mentioned means including Wire-and-sheath transmissions having connection with said pedal clavier and bendable without disconnection to permit movement of the pedal clavier from one to the other of said positions.

7. The structure of claim 1 in which said console has a forwardly projecting support for said keyboard and frame, a pedal clavier having a second frame supporting pedal keys, said second frame being hinged to a lower portion of said console whereby said pedal clavier may be swung from a position substantially parallel to a surface upon which said console rests to another position in which said pedal clavier slants upwardly and forwardly so that the outer end of said second frame underlies the forwardly extension of said console, the outer end of said second frame being disposed aslant to the general plane thereof, so as to conform substantally to the under side of said console extension, and latch means for con- 13 necting said second frame and extension to maintain said pedal clavier in said second mentioned position.

8. In a keyboard having a console, a frame removably mounted in the console, a keyboard mounted to said frame, a generator mounted on said frame, and connections between said generator and the keys of said keyboard, a second frame removably mounted in the console, a second keyboard mounted to said second frame, a generator mounted on said second frame, and connections between said second generator and keys of said second keyboard, one of said frames being wider than the other so that said keyboards may lie in offset position in which both are exposed for playing purposes, means interconnecting the said frames whereby the named elements may be removed from said console as a unit, a front board bearing voice-selecting elements also mounted to the upper of said frames and removable therewith, and including connections between said generators and said voice-selecting elements, said connections comprising Bowden transmissions, said voice-selecting elements comprising stop tabs, panels mounted in spaced parallelism to the rear of said front board, slides mounted opposite each other on the respective panels, means anchoring the sheaths of said transmissions to said panels respectively, the wires of said transmissions being connected to said slides, and operating connections between said stop tabs and said slides, certain at least of said operating connections being operative upon a plurality of slides.

9. The structure claimed in claim 1 including a front board bearing voice-selecting elements, said front board being mounted to said trame and being removable from said console with said frame, and connections between said generator and said voice-selecting elements, said last mentioned connections also comprising Bowden transmissions, said voice-selecting elements comprising stop tabs.

10. In a keyboard instrument having a console, a frame removably mounted in the console, a keyboard mounted to said frame, a generator mounted on said frame, connections between said generator and the keys of said keyboard, said console having a pedal clavier, connections from said generator for said pedal clavier being brought downwardly to a panel supported by brackets on said frame and connected to leaf spring elements thereon, and connections between the keys of said pedal clavier and lever operating elements permanently mounted in said console, in a position to actuate said leaf spring elements, whereby said generator, frame and keyboard may be removed from said console with automatic disconnection from said pedal clavier.

11. The structure claimed in claim including a front board bearing voice-selecting elements also mounted to said frame and removable therewith, and conne@ tions between said generator and said voice-selecting elements.

12. The structure claimed in claim 5 wherein said console has a pedal clavier, wherein certain of the connections from both generators are brought downwardly and connected to other leaf springs on panels mounted on brackets on the respective frames, and wherein the keys of said pedal clavier have upwardly extending connections terminating in operating levers mounted in a fixed positi n in said console so as to operate said other leaf springs when said frames are positioned in said console, whereby said frames and associated parts may be removed as a unit therefrom with automatic disconnection from the keys of said pedal clavier.

13. The structure claimed in claim 12 in which the connections between said pedal keys and said operating levers are in the nature of flexible Bowden transmissions, and. wherein said pedal clavier is pivoted to said console and may be swung upwardly with respect thereto.

14. The structure claimed in claim 12 wherein each generator has connection to certain of the keys of said pedal clavier, wherein there is a series of said voice-selecting elements pertaining to said pedal clavier, and wherein the generators have concurrent connection to said last mentioned voice-selecting elements.

15. The structure claimed in claim 6 wherein said wire-and-sheath transmissions terminate within said console in a series of motion transmitting elements, and wherein said generator is provided with a corresponding series of motion receiving elements dissociatable from said motion transmitting elements to permit removal of said generator from said console.

Reierenees Cited in the lile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 206,345 Milliken July 23, 1878 1,666,032 Mauro Apr. 10, 1928 1,745,306 Luker Jan. 28, 1930 1,827,096 Morse Oct. 13, 1931 1,956,350 Hammond Apr. 24, 1934 2,063,796 Downing Dec. 8, 1936 2,199,948 Brockway May 7, 1940 2,245,338 Hammond June 10, 1941 2,250,065 {oehl July 22, 1941 2,494,700 Gage Jan. 17, 1950 2,505,805 Stein May 2, 1950 2,506,599 Jordan May 9, 1950 2,514,246 Knox July 4, 1950 2,555,040 Jordan May 29, 1951 2,559,276 Campbell July 3, 1951 2,602,842 Morris et al. July 8, 1952 

